Categories

Archives

LOGIN

Top 5 Most Anticipated Films of Summer 2012

Sunday, May 6, 2012

With The Avengers being released this past week, we now have entered the summer movie season. The summer season is known for big-budget, studio tent-poles that are designed to draw in droves of movie-goers. Along with these spectacle films, we also see the release of a few smaller films that are either critical darlings or earn enough to become sleeper hits.

2012 is no different and there are many films being released in the coming months that I am looking forward to. I have decided to narrow down the many into a select few that are of great interest to me. I have excluded The Avengers as I have already seen it and you can read my review for it here. If The Avengers was on this list it probably wouldn’t have been in my top five anyways.

Before I enter into my top five, I will go ahead and list several honorable mentions to place on your radar. They are in no particular order: Lawless, The Intouchables, Magic Mike, Your Sister’s Sister, Beasts of the Southern Wild, and Total Recall.

Now onto the five.

Courtesy of Disney/Pixar

5. Brave

It’s epic in scope and it’s Pixar. Pixar finds itself in its first ever “rebound year” after Cars 2 was its first film to be both financially and critically disappointing. Some people would say that it was to be expected being that Pixar has pumped out hit after hit since 1995 and that Cars 2 was the sequel that no one asked for (well, maybe except for Hot Wheels obsessed children or the most die-hard of Larry the Cable Guy fans). It seemed to be just a matter of time before Pixar released a dud.

Brave is right in Pixar’s wheelhouse. The film has a unique setting with superb visuals and an interesting premise to boot. I am not as psyched about this film as I have been for most of Pixar’s past films (Wall-E and Toy Story 3 may have been two of my most anticipated films of all-time), but I have high expectations that this will be a return to form for Pixar. Hopefully, Cars 2 was a fluke and not the start of a new trend.

Releases June 22nd

Courtesy of Screenslam

4. The Campaign

Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis starring as North Carolina-based politicians competing against each other in a comedy directed by Jay Roach of Austin Powers and Meet the Parents fame? Count me in.

Though on paper this sounds amazing, I know that in execution it COULD be terrible. Still, the thought of Ferrell and Galifianakis being allowed to explore their innermost politician seems to intriguing to pass up. Will Ferrell is a guilty pleasure of mine and Galifianakis is generally fantastic in anything not called The Hangover. These are two premiere man-child character actors. Obviously, the whole thing could devolve to a heap of yelling and male-genitalia jokes, but I am hoping there are enough fun moments to keep it afloat.

Releases August 10th

Courtesy of Focus Features

3. Moonrise Kingdom

Simply put: Wes Anderson is one of the best and most influential directors working today. His slow-burn comedic storytelling along with his rich color palettes have created a style that is uniquely his own. Anderson’s filmography includes many of my most favorite films and he is near the top of my list of favorite directors (him being from Houston, Texas doesn’t hurt his candidacy).

In this outing we see Anderson-regulars Jason Schwartzman and Bill Murray joined by Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, and Tilda Swinton in a film about two juvenile lovers who run away from their respective camps during the summer of 1965. The film centers on the chaos that is created amongst the camps and the families of the campers when they seek out the two missing lovers.

It’s ridiculous, but it is Wes Anderson-ridiculous. Judging by his track record, I can confidently say that this film will threaten my #1 spot for best film of 2012.

Release May 25th

Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

2. Prometheus

Ridley Scott has returned to sci-fi. The man that brought us Alien and Blade Runner has returned from a 30 year hiatus to the genre that he helped legitimize. If that’s not enough to get you excited, then let me continue on.

Prometheus is a prequel OF SORTS to Alien. It takes place within the same universe and revolves around the same company, Weyland Industries, that was in charge during the Alien saga. There isn’t a lot known about this film except that the Prometheus is an expedition to an unknown planet to research the possible beginnings of the human race. What I do know is that Scott has amassed an impressive cast that includes Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Noomi Rapace, Guy Pierce, and (best actor currently working) Michael Fassbender. H.R. Geiger has also returned to help with the art design of the film which helps keep continuity with the Alien franchise.

Along with it being Ridley Scott’s return to sci-fi it’s also his first foray into 3D. He seems to have fully embraced the tech so hopefully, we will get to experience a film with great depth both in narrative and imagery.

Releases June 8th

Courtesy of Legendary Pictures/ Warner Bros.

1. The Dark Knight Rises

The final chapter in Christopher Nolan’s Batman saga. What started off as an effort to bring the Batman back to relevance has turned into one of the most profitable and beloved franchises ever. It has helped Christopher Nolan become the inspiration to this generation’s film students as well as create the standard that all comic book/superhero films will be compared to.

Nolan builds upon the foundation that he has set with Batman Begins and The Dark Knight and appears to have upped the ante. Alongside series mainstays Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, and Morgan Freeman we have Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle/Catwoman , and Tom Hardy as Bane (Just to keep track: there are 16 Oscar nominations and 5 Oscar wins in this cast alone).

The seven year journey to this film has been a glorious one. It is bittersweet to know that this is the end of the greatest franchise this side of Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings. Batman has been my favorite superhero since I was a little tike, so it should come as no surprise that this is at the top of my list for summer 2012.

One Comment

Nice List! I have to say Prometheus edges out Dark Knight Rises for me, if only because it’s Ridley Scott doing sci-fi again. I love the Nolan Batman films, but they will never be better (or worse) than the Burton films that made me love the character. They’re just different. DKR is definitely my number 2.